Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for the treatment and prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia. More particularly, the present invention relates to the composition comprising a peptide derived from telomerase and the composition is for the treatment and prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Background
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common age-related disease of male which is accompanied by lower urinary tract symptom. Related symptoms began to appear from the age of 40, but the most clinical symptoms appear from the late age of 50. BPH can cause sexual dysfunction by reduced quality of life, and the treatment and surgery for BPH can affect sexual function.
The hyperplasia causing BPH is dependent on male hormones. Especially the male hormones are necessary for normal cell proliferation in prostate as well as for inhibition of normal apoptosis. The most known endogenous cause is aging. Prostate gets bigger by aging and normal testis function. As the male hormone that prostate is depend on, testosterone plays an important role in growing and differentiating prostate and is metabolized by 5-alpha-reducatse to make dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which plays an important role in growing prostate and expressing the genes of prostate.
As exogenous causes of growing prostate, there are male hormones, estrogen, glucocorticoid and materials related to internal secretion, enzymes which are induced by diet and circumstances. The physiological effects of these exogenous causes appears via many kinds of growth factor peptides.
BPH occurs in early 20s to late 40s caused by histological changes when the male hormones and estrogen work synergistically to induce BPH. With increasing age, the rate of estrogen/DHT and then BPH increase.
Also, it was commonly known that the prostate grows up until early 20s and then it keeps its size until 50, and it depends on the very complicated interaction such as endogenous growth factors, signal pathway, regulation of cell cycles, cell division and apoptosis that the prostate maintains its balance. If transform occurs to cell cycle regulation factors, BPH may be induced.
The genetic factor can be a major factor which affect BPH. It was reported that patients having a family history of BPH has shown increase of BPH by more than 60%, and it also reported that treatment by 5α-reductase inhibitor is less effective in a group of patients having a family history of BPH. This is because, in such cases, BPH depends on non-androgen dependent pathway.
For treating BPH, surgery and medical treatment can be used. For medical treatment, administration of drugs is adjusted depending on the age and clinical progress of a patient. Recently the number of BPH patients have significantly increased in Korea and worldwide and the disease rate in young patient has also increased. Various drugs are used for treatment but their uses are limited for side-effects.
Sulpiride is type 2 dopamine receptor antagonist, which is commonly used as a depression treatment drug. Dopamine, as an intermediate product made in synthesizing pathway of adrenalin and noradrenalin, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Sulpiride inhibits binding of dopamine and its receptor which inhibit prolactin secretion on as dopaminergic effect and elevates the concentration of prolactin in blood. Increased prolactin by continuous administration of sulpiride induces hyperprolactinemia.
It is reported that prolactin is related to proliferation of prostate, prostate cancer and development and regulation of BPH. Also it is known that prolactin in conjunction with androgen elevates proliferation of prostate. As another mechanism, it is also known that prolactin acts as a stress hormone to elevate expression of 5α-reductase and induces proliferation of prostate. Prolactin, which is one of nonsteroidal factors, relates to proliferation of prostate and induction of BPH. With age, prolactin increases but the level of testosterone declines. It is reported that prolactin induces BPH in elderly human. For rat and human, it is reported that prolactin is involved in proliferation and differentiation of prostate.
According to this report, prolactin is considered to be induced by receptors through signal transduction pathways.